TALLAHASSEE — This week, 37 middle and high school students in the Summer Invention Camp at Florida A&M University (FAMU) will showcase their products and ideas that could someday make it to the marketplace. As part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the camp brings together the art and science of inventing and the business of transferring technology to commercial markets to the attention of young minds. The participants, who are from Florida, Georgia and as far away as Texas, will showcase their inventions on June 8, 1:30 p.m. in the FAMU Coleman Library, room 410.

The Summer Invention Camp is hosted by the FAMU Office of Technology Transfer, Licensing and Commercialization. For three years, “seasoned” inventors, patent attorneys, former patent examiners and business people have taught students the meaning of innovation, inventing and creative thinking; how to determine if their ideas have already been disclosed by others; and how to protect and market them. In the past, students have created innovative products such as a sanitized shopping cart, a toothbrush with changeable heads and a trash can liner storage and retrieval system. There was also a multi-purpose backpack with an embedded back massager and MP3 player.

Dr. Rose Glee, director of the FAMU Office of Technology Transfer, said the students are taught the complete process of taking an idea from its conception to the market. “We have seen great inventions from each year’s activity because the students really push to generate cutting-edge technologies,” she said. “In a week’s time, we immerse them in as much of the inventing process as we can, and we expect them to continue to innovate, especially in the areas of science, math and engineering.”

The showcase on June 8 will spotlight team and individual inventions. Student projects will be judged on innovativeness, practicality, commercial potential and cost effectiveness. They will also demonstrate their ideas using marketing techniques that are the most appropriate for their products. In addition to the NSF grant, the FAMU Summer Invention Camp was supported by the Southside and Northside Rotary International Clubs, the Taltech Alliance and other local sponsors.

For more information, call the FAMU Office of Technology Transfer, Licensing and Commercialization at (850) 412-7232.